System and method for selection of a communication network by a terminal

ABSTRACT

System for selecting an architecture ( 15, 16, 17 ) dedicated to a communications network ( 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 ) in a terminal ( 10 ) including a user interface ( 11 ). The connection to the communications network ( 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 ) is set up by means of a PDP context link via a mobile network. The system controls access to a dedicated architecture manager ( 19 ) integrated into the terminal ( 10 ) to manage an architecture ( 15, 16, 17 ) dedicated to a communications network ( 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 ) and to process simultaneously the operation of the dedicated architectures ( 15, 16, 17 ) of the terminal ( 10 ) connected to a plurality of the communications networks ( 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 ). The system can be used for selecting access to a communications network ( 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 ) of a set of communications networks each offering a set of services via a dedicated architecture ( 15, 16, 17 ) integrated into the terminal ( 10 ) which is connected to a public mobile network to which the user is a subscriber.

The present invention relates to a system and to a method for selectingin a terminal an architecture that is dedicated to a communicationsnetwork.

The invention applies more particularly to using a dedicatedarchitecture integrated in a terminal connected to a public mobilenetwork to which the user is a subscriber, for accessing acommunications network from a set of communications networks, eachoffering a set of services.

At present, such services are accessible from a terminal connected tomobile telecommunications networks such as GPRS (General Packet RadioService) networks and UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System)networks.

In these mobile networks, to select a communications network offeringservices, it is necessary to select a name identifying thecommunications network. To set up a connection between a terminal and aparticular communications network, the identifying name is transmittedvia a service support equipment of the mobile network to an equipmentmanaging access to the communications networks. The identifying namespecified by the terminal enables the service support equipment of themobile network to determine the access management equipment associatedwith the identifying name that offers access to the specifiedcommunications network.

In existing GPRS and UMTS networks, the name identifying acommunications network is called its access point name (APN), theservice support equipment is called the serving GPRS support node(SGSN), and the equipment managing access to the various communicationsnetworks is called the gateway GPRS service node (GGSN).

An APN primarily comprises an identifier that corresponds to theselected communications network, an identifier of the operator managingthe communications network, and an identifier of the technology of themobile network, for example the GPRS technology. The format and use ofan APN are covered by standards issued by the ETSI (EuropeanTelecommunications Standards Institute).

One function of an SGSN is to receive an APN from a terminal and to sendit to an APN server to which it is connected in order for the APN to berecognized. The APN server responds to the SGSN by sending a list of theGGSN associated with the specified APN. One function of the SGSN is toset up a connection to a GGSN from the list. The GGSN sets up aconnection to a communications network that corresponds to the APN. TheSGSN and the GGSN are also covered by ETSI standards.

To access a communications network offering a set of services, the userselects an APN on the terminal in order to set up a connection with thecorresponding communications network.

Once an APN has been selected on the terminal, an access protocol isinitialized. In a GPRS or UMTS network, this protocol is the packet dataprotocol (PDP). A procedure is executed to set up a connection from theterminal to the GGSN. To enable the connection to be set up, a linkacross the mobile network to the selected communications network iscreated. In a GPRS or UMTS network, that link is called a PDP context.It enables the terminal to access the services of the communicationsnetwork.

At the end of the set-up procedure, the terminal receives from thecommunications network to which a connection has been set up an addressthat identifies the terminal within the communications network and isassociated with the PDP context linking the terminal and thecommunications network.

The ETSI standard provides for a plurality of connections to be set upsimultaneously from the same terminal to different communicationsnetworks. The document FR 02 07457 describes the use of a dedicatedarchitecture manager in a terminal to manage simultaneous access to aplurality of communications networks.

In that document, on establishing a connection to a communicationsnetwork, the dedicated architecture manager dialogues with thecommunications network. In the terminal, the dedicated architecturemanager designates an architecture dedicated to the connection to theconnected communications network. On setting up each new connection to anew communications network, the dedicated architecture managerdesignates a different architecture dedicated to the connection to thenew communications network. The various dedicated architectures in thesame terminal operate simultaneously. Each dedicated architecture isassociated with a PDP context and provides access to a differentcommunications network.

The above document mentions that each dedicated architecture comprises anetwork interface. Each communications network communicates with adedicated architecture of the terminal via a separate network interface.The address sent by each of the communications networks is received bythe dedicated architecture manager and its parameters are set via anetwork interface. A network interface of any dedicated architecture isunrelated to any other network interface of any other dedicatedarchitecture.

The dedicated architecture manager in a terminal assigns each dedicatedarchitecture to a communications network. The autonomy and independentoperation of the dedicated architecture of the terminal guaranteeconfidentiality and security between communications networks byproviding a “seal” between the various services connected to theterminal.

To maintain the independence of the various communications networkseffectively, a dedicated architecture has no functions for managing theassociated PDP context created via the mobile network to enable accessfrom the terminal to a communications network.

Moreover, because of the autonomy of the various dedicated architecturesof a terminal, each dedicated architecture has no view of the operationof the other dedicated architectures of the terminal.

Thus the technical problem to be solved by the subject matter of thepresent invention is that of proposing a system and method for making aselection from an architecture dedicated to communications network in aterminal that includes a user interface and is adapted to manage the setof dedicated architectures in the said terminal.

The solution in accordance with the present invention to the technicalproblem stated above consists in, a connection to the communicationsnetwork being set up via a mobile network by means of a PDP context linkto said communications network, the system comprising selection meansthat are suitable for controlling access to a dedicated architecturemanager integrated into the terminal for managing an architecturededicated to a communications network, and for simultaneously processingthe functioning of the dedicated architectures of the terminal connectedto a plurality of the communications networks.

The dedicated architecture manager of the terminal manages simultaneousoperation of the various architectures dedicated to the variouscommunications networks to which the terminal is connected.

The selection means provide access to the dedicated architecturemanager, which controls one of the dedicated architectures that itmanages as a function of what the user has selected.

In this way, each of the dedicated architectures of the terminalcommunicates with only one communications network, which is associatedwith the corresponding PDP context, even if the terminal is connected toa plurality of communications networks.

The separate and autonomous operation of the various dedicatedarchitectures of the terminal is therefore preserved, which guaranteesconfidentiality and security between the various communications networksto which the terminal is connected. These imperatives are particularlyimportant during a banking transaction or on connecting to a businessprivate network, for example.

According to the invention, the selection means are integrated into theuser interface of the terminal.

Access to the services corresponding to a communications network isprovided by the user interface of the terminal, for example displaymeans, sound or voice means, or Braille means.

The user of the terminal activates the selection means to control thededicated architecture manager.

The selection means are of any form and any kind adapted to the existingtechnologies of the user interface of the terminal, such as buttons on akeypad of the terminal, pull-down menus, voice commands, Braillecommands, hypertext links on a screen of the terminal, or any otherselection device.

According to the invention, the selection means are associated with acontrol device for the selection means.

The selection means of the terminal may be activated by control devicessuch as temperature sensors, pressure sensors or any other controlmeans.

The invention also consists in a method of making a selection in aterminal from an architecture dedicated to communications network, saidterminal including a user interface, which method is noteworthy in that,a connection to the communications network being set up via a mobilenetwork by means of a PDP context link to said communications network,the method comprises the steps of:

integrating selection means with the user interface of the terminal;

activating the selection means of the terminal;

using the selection means to control access to a dedicated architecturemanager integrated into the terminal to manage a state of a dedicatedarchitecture;

using the dedicated architecture manager to control first means fortransmitting to the dedicated architecture of the terminal;

using the dedicated architecture manager to control second means fortransmitting to a communications network;

using the dedicated architecture manager to control a state of the PDPcontext link to the communications network; and

using the dedicated architecture manager to access a resource of theterminal accessible by the dedicated architecture.

The dedicated architecture manager assigns a dedicated architecture toeach of the communications networks, offering the possibility ofsimultaneous but different and independent management.

The selection means are used to activate the dedicated architecturemanager of the terminal, which then controls access and also controlsthe functions of each of the dedicated architectures (by means of firsttransmission means), each of the communications networks (by means ofsecond transmission means), each of the corresponding PDP contexts, andeach of the resources of the terminal.

When activated, and according to what the user has selected, thededicated architecture manager manages one of the dedicatedarchitectures, one of the communications networks, one of the PDPcontexts corresponding to the communications network, or one of theresources of the terminal.

Because the dedicated architectures operate separately and autonomously,the operation of the terminal may be adapted according to thecommunications network to which it is connected. For example, there maybe functions on one of the communications networks that not exist onanother communications network.

Moreover, because of the increased number of services accessible viacommunications networks, the autonomy of each dedicated architecture inparticular allows assignment of specific resources, for example specificapplications or a specific memory space or a specific quality of servicethat differ from one communications network to another.

The following description, which is given with reference to the appendeddrawing, which is provided by way of non-limiting example, explains inwhat the invention consists and how it may be put into practice.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of the general architecture of a system according tothe invention for selecting in a terminal an architecture dedicated to acommunications network.

To facilitate the explanation of the invention, it is described usingthe terminology of the UMTS. However, the invention applies to allcommunications systems using identical communications networkidentification techniques.

Similarly, to simplify the description, the mobile telecommunicationsnetwork subscriber is indicated by a terminal 10 in the form of a userequipment (UE) in FIG. 1, but may be of different kinds, for example aserver, a mobile communications terminal, a personal computer (PC) or atelevision.

Whichever kind of terminal 10 is used, it is connected to a publicmobile network to which the user is a subscriber.

At present, if the user of the terminal 10 wishes to access acommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 offering a set of servicesto which the user requires access, the user uses a radio station of themobile network to send an APN identifying the communications network 40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

To this end the user accesses, for example via the user interface 11, alist in the dedicated architecture manager 19 of APN identifying thecommunications networks 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 to which the user is asubscriber and which the user can access. The ETSI standard provides fora plurality of connections to be set up simultaneously to differentcommunications networks from the same terminal and, among other things,the list of APN enables the terminal to operate as a so-called“multi-APN” terminal.

A radio access management equipment SGSN in the mobile network receivesthe APN from the terminal 10 and determines which access managementequipment GGSN manages the APN.

The SGSN sends the APN to an APN server to which it is connected andwhich holds a table of the correspondences between APN and GGSN. TheSGSN selects a GGSN 30, 30′ which manages that APN.

The GGSN 30, 30′ sets up a connection to the communications network 40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52. A PDP context link to the communications network 40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52 is set up across the mobile network and enables theterminal 10 to access the communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

The GGSN 30, 30′ then sends the terminal 10 an address that identifiesthe terminal 10 in the communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 towhich it has been connected.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 in the terminal 10 receives theaddress, assigns a dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17 to the connectedcommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, and sends the address tothe dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17 that has been assigned to thecommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

The dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17 is associated with the PDP contextthat enables access from the terminal 10 to the communications network40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

The connection steps referred to above are repeated each time the userof the terminal 10 wishes to access a new communications network 40, 41,42, 50, 51, 52.

A new connection is then set up between the terminal 10 and a newcommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52. Consequently, a new PDPcontext link to the new communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 isset up across the mobile network.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 in the terminal 10 receives a newaddress and assigns a new dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17 to theconnected new communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52. From thispoint onwards, the new dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17 is associatedwith the new PDP context enabling access from the terminal 10 to the newcommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

When each connection is set up, and each time that a communicationsnetwork 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 is assigned a dedicated architecture 15,16, 17, the dedicated architecture manager 19 stores the identifier ofthe dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17 used in the terminal 10 in a listof dedicated architectures 15, 16, 17 managed by the dedicatedarchitecture manager 19 of the terminal 10. The ETSI standard providesfor a plurality of connections to be set up simultaneously to differentcommunications networks from the same terminal and, among other things,the list of dedicated architectures enables the terminal to operate as aso-called “multi-APN” terminal.

Once the connection has been set up, the dedicated architecture accessesthe user interface 11 of the terminal 10. In this way, the subscribercan access a service content of the communications network 40, 41, 42,50, 51, 52, for example a home page 12, 13.

If display of the content on the terminal 10 is not required by thecommunications network, the content of the communications network can berepresented by any other means of the user interface 11 of the terminal10, such as a voice message reproduced by audio means.

The user interface 11 of the terminal 10, for example comprising displaymeans, audio means, voice means or Braille means, provides access to theservices corresponding to the various communications networks 40, 41,42, 50, 51, 52.

Regardless of the number of connections set up, each architecture 15,16, 17 dedicated to a communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52receives information from the communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51,52 via each PDP context link corresponding to the communications network40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

To enable it to manage the various connections, the terminal 10 isequipped with selection means 18 integrated into the user interface 11.

The selection means 18 are of any form and any kind adapted to theexisting technologies of the user interface 11 of the terminal 10, andmay comprise buttons on keypads of the terminal, pull-down menus ondisplay means, hypertext links on the display means and selected by acursor, for example by a mouse, by touching a touch-sensitive screen orby directing the user's gaze, voice commands spoken by the subscriber ofthe terminal, Braille commands, or any other selection means.

The user of the terminal 10 activates the selection means 18 of theterminal 10.

The selection means 18 may equally be associated with a control deviceof the selection means 18. In this case, the control device activatesthe selection means 18 of the terminal 10.

For example, the control device is a temperature or pressure sensor, aninduction sensor or any other sensing or measuring device enablingactivation of the selection means 18, for example as a function of thevalue of a temperature or pressure measured by the control devicethreshold or a temperature or pressure threshold.

The selection means 18 are either general or specific to a managementfunction of the dedicated architecture manager 19.

If the selection means 18 are general, they provide access to a choiceof the various management functions of the dedicated architecturemanager 19, for example by means of a text or voice menu listing themanagement functions.

Otherwise, the terminal 10 may include a plurality of specific selectionmeans each corresponding to one of the management functions of thededicated architecture manager 19.

The tasks of the dedicated architecture manager 19 include managing themanagement functions, in particular functions for creating, modifying,suspending and closing a dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17, or any othermanagement function useful for a dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17 orfor consultation of characteristic data of a dedicated architecture 15,16, 17, for example the resources used in the terminal 10.

The management function of the dedicated architecture manager 19 isactivated by the selection means 18 or by the selection that has beenmade, for example with the aid of a list of the management functions ofthe dedicated architecture manager 19.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 controls first means 20 oftransmission to an architecture 15, 16, 17 dedicated to a communicationsnetwork 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 according to how activation was effected.The first transmission means 20 are integrated into the dedicatedarchitecture manager 19.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 commands creation, modification,suspension or closure of transmission to the architecture 15, 16, 17dedicated to a communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, forexample, according to the management function selected.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 controls second means 21 oftransmission to a communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52according to how activation was effected. The second transmission means21 are also integrated into the dedicated architecture manager 19.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 controls creation, modification,suspension or closure of transmission to the communications network 40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52, for example, according to the management functionselected.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 manages the state of a PDP contextlink to the communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 according tohow activation was effected.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 controls creation, modification,suspension or closure of the PDP context link between the terminal 10and the communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 according to themanagement function selected, for example via the mobile network.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 allows access to a resource of theterminal 10 accessible by the architecture 15, 16, 17 dedicated to acommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 according to the type ofactivation effected.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 controls a memory location of theterminal 10, for example, or access to a function of the centralprocessing unit (CPU) of the terminal 10 according to the managementfunction selected, for the purposes of the architecture 15, 16, 17dedicated to a communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

Consequently, according which of the management functions has beenactivated, the dedicated architecture manager 19 controls the firstmeans 20 of transmission to an architecture 15, 16, 17 dedicated to acommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, the second transmissionmeans 21 to a communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, the PDPcontext linking the terminal 10 and the communications network 40, 41,42, 50, 51, 52 or the resource of the terminal 10.

According to what selection has been effected, the dedicatedarchitecture manager manages one of the dedicated architectures, one ofthe communications networks, one of the PDP contexts corresponding tothe communications network or one of the resources of the terminal, andall of the above in operation and in parallel with access by theterminal 10 to the services provided by the communications networks 40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

In particular, if the user of the terminal 10 wishes to access acommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, the user accesses thelist in the dedicated architecture manager 19 of APN identifying thecommunications networks 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 to which the user is asubscriber and which the user can access.

After the user selects from the list an APN identifying one of thecommunications networks 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 associated with acorresponding PDP context, the creation function of the dedicatedarchitecture manager 19, by means of the first transmission means 20,assigns the selected APN a dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17 managed bythe dedicated architecture manager 19 of the terminal 10.

The creation function of the dedicated architecture manager 19 uses thesecond transmission means 21 to control the standard ETSI (EuropeanTelecommunications Standards Institute) PDP context activationprocedure, which leads to the provision of access to the communicationsnetwork 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 identified by the APN selected on theterminal 10.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 of the terminal 10 controls accessto a resource of the terminal 10 used by the architecture 15, 16, 17dedicated to the communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, such asaccess to a memory location of the terminal 10 or to a function of thecentral processor unit (CPU) of the terminal 10, for the purposes of thearchitecture 15, 16, 17 dedicated to the communications network 40, 41,42, 50, 51, 52.

Similarly, once a connection has been set up between the terminal 10 anda communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, the modificationfunction of the dedicated architecture manager 19 modifies the resourcesused in the terminal 10 by the architecture 15, 16, 17 dedicated to theconnected communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 associated withthe corresponding PDP context.

This modification allows adaptation of the resources of the terminal 10to the communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, for example, onthe occasion of a change of quality of service, by modifying thecapacity of the memories assigned in the terminal 10.

By means of the first and second transmission means 20, 21, themodification function of the dedicated architecture manager 19 controlsstandard ETSI PDP content modification procedure, which includesmodification of the characteristics of transmission to the connectedcommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

In the exactly the same way, once a connection has been set up betweenthe terminal 10 and a communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, thesuspension function of the dedicated architecture manager 19 temporarilysuspends transmission between the dedicated architecture manager 19 andthe architecture 15, 16, 17 dedicated to the connected communicationsnetwork 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 associated with the corresponding PDPcontext.

Because of this, the dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17 can no longeraccess the connected communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 andcan therefore no longer carry out any function, modification orintervention of any kind, such as assigning a memory resource of theterminal 10 or modifying the transmission quality of service.

By means of the first and second transmission means 20, 21, thesuspension function of the dedicated architecture manager 19 controlsthe standard ETSI suspend procedure, which leads to temporary stoppingof transmission to the connected communications network 40, 41, 42, 50,51, 52.

Lifting a suspension leads to the resumption of normal transmission atthe point and in the state at which transmission was suspended. In thededicated architecture manager 19, the lifting of the suspension enablescontrol of the standard ETSI resume procedure, which leads to theresumption of transmission to the connected communications network 40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

In the same way, once a connection has been set up between the terminal10 and a communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, the closurefunction of the dedicated architecture manager 19 closes down alltransmission between the dedicated architecture manager 19 and thearchitecture 15, 16, 17 dedicated to the connected communicationsnetwork 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 associated with the corresponding PDPcontext.

By means of the first and second transmission means 20, 21, the closurefunction of the dedicated architecture manager 19 controls the standardETSI PDP context deactivation procedure, which leads to the stopping ofall transmission to the communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52connected to the terminal 10.

The dedicated architecture manager 19 of the terminal 10 controls theclosure of the architecture 15, 16, 17 dedicated to the connectedcommunications network, which releases all resources used in theterminal 10 by the dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17, for example allthe memory locations of the terminal 10 or access to the centralprocessor unit (CPU) of the terminal for the purposes of the dedicatedarchitecture 15, 16, 17. Any files downloaded and stored in anon-volatile memory of the terminal 10 are not affected by the closurefunction and the releasing of the other resources of the terminal 10.

At the end of execution of the closure function, the identifier of theclosed dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17 is deleted from the list ofdedicated architectures 15, 16, 17 managed by the dedicated architecturemanager 19 of the terminal 10.

1-8. (canceled)
 9. A system for making a selection from a set ofarchitectures (15, 16, 17) dedicated to communications networks (40, 41,42, 50, 51, 52) in a terminal (10) that includes a user interface (11)and is adapted to be connected simultaneously to a plurality of saidcommunications networks (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52), which system ischaracterized in that, the connections to the communications networks(40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52) being set up via a mobile network by means ofPDP context links to said communications networks (40, 41, 42, 50, 51,52), the system comprises selection means (18) integrated into the userinterface (11) of the terminal (10) for selecting the APN of one of thecommunications networks (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52), for controlling accessto a dedicated architecture manager (19) integrated into the terminal(10) for managing the architecture (15, 16, 17) dedicated to theselected communications network (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52), and forconnecting the dedicated architecture manager (19) to the PDP contextlink to the selected communications network (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52) inorder to process a state of said link and to adapt a resource to theselected communications network (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52).
 10. A systemaccording to claim 9, characterized in that the dedicated architecturemanager (19) includes means for controlling, separately or incombination, creation, modification, suspension and closure of adedicated architecture, according to the management function selected bythe selection means (18).
 11. A system according to claim 9,characterized in that the dedicated architecture manager (19) managesall the dedicated architectures (15, 16, 17), which, in order tomaintain the independence of the various communications networks, haveno functions for managing PDP context links.
 12. A system according toclaim 9, characterized in that the selection means (18) are associatedwith a selection means control device.
 13. A system according to claim9, characterized in that, as a function of the selection means (18), thededicated architecture manager (19) is connected to a first transmissionmeans (20) for managing transmission using a dedicated architecture (15,16, 17) of the terminal (10).
 14. A system according to claim 9,characterized in that, as a function of the selection means (18), thededicated architecture manager (19) is connected to second transmissionmeans (21) for managing transmission to the selected communicationsnetwork (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52).
 15. A system according to claim 9,characterized in that, as a function of the selection means (18), thededicated architecture manager (19) is connected to a resource of theterminal (10) accessible by a dedicated architecture (15, 16, 17).
 16. Amethod of making a selection in a terminal (10) from a set ofarchitectures (15, 16, 17) dedicated to communications networks (40, 41,42, 50, 51, 52), said terminal (10) including a user interface (11) andbeing adapted to be connected simultaneously to a plurality of saidcommunications networks (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52), which method ischaracterized in that, the connections to the communications networks(40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52) being set up via a mobile network by means ofPDP context links to the communications networks (40, 41, 42, 50, 51,52), the method comprises the steps of: integrating selection means (18)with the user interface (11) of the terminal (10); activating theselection means (18) of the terminal (10) to select an APN of one of thecommunications network (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52); the selection means(18) controlling access to a dedicated architecture manager (19)integrated into the terminal (10) to manage a state of a dedicatedarchitecture (15, 16, 17); the dedicated architecture manager (19)controlling first means (20) of transmission to the dedicatedarchitecture (15, 16, 17) of the terminal (10); the dedicatedarchitecture manager (19) controlling second means (21) of transmissionto the selected communications network (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52); thededicated architecture manager (19) processing a state of the PDPcontext link to the selected communications network (40, 41, 42, 50, 51,52); and the dedicated architecture manager (19) accessing a resource ofthe terminal (10) accessible by the dedicated architecture (15, 16, 17)and adapted to the selected communications network (40, 41, 42, 50, 51,52).